Car-seal



0. JOHNSON.

CAR SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.8,19I9.

9 Patented B61015, 1921.

OLOF JOHNSON, OF HUDSON, WISCONSIN.

GAR-SEAL.

messes.

Specification, of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

Applicationfiled December 8, 1919. Serial No. 343,160. I

To all whomit may concern: I

Be it known that I, OLOF JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Hudson, county of St. Croix, and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Seals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in car seals, and has for its object the provision in a car seal of triple means for locking the free end of the shackle, when in use.

Another object is the provision of a car seal which will be simple in structure, economic of manufacture, and highly efficient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which, i

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal vertical sectional view of my invention,

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal vertical section of my invention, showing a different stage of locking operation,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a locking element used in my invention,

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the casing used in my invention, and

Fig. 6 1s a top plan View of a blank used in the construction of a modified form of my invention.

The approved form of construction com prises an elongated metallic member or shackle 7, which is provided adjacent one end with laterally extending flanges 8. A trough-shaped-member 10 is provided, having one end thereof deeper than. the opposite end, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. The member 10 is provided with an outwardly pressed portion 11 so as to form on the inner surface of the member 10 a recess. The member 10 is provided with a flange, which projects outwardly from V the side walls thereof on three sides, that is on two of the lateral walls and one of the end walls.

The members 8 are adapted to be bent upwardly and flattened over the flanges which extend from the lateral walls of the member 10. The member 7 is prolonged beyond the members 8, so as to constitutea flange 9,

which is adapted to be bent upwardly and over upon the flange which projects from the end wall of the member 10, thereby securely fastening the member 10 to one end of the shackle 7. In this form, the member 10 and the end of the shackle to which it is secured form a housing or casing. The shallow end 14 of the casing is open, so as to permit the entry therein of the free end of the shackle 7. The opening 14 is so constructed that the same will be completely filled when the free end of the shackle 7 is engaged therein. In other words, the construction is such as to afford a snug engagement of the free end of the shackle. As shown in Fig. 1, the shackle 7 is bent so as to be doubled upon itself. The free end ofthe shackle 7 is provided with an elongated slot 13, which is formed adjacent the end. Mounted within the casing, upon the member 7, is a metallic plate 15, punched out of which, is a tongue 16 which ,projects rearwardly in the casing or away from the end 14 thereof. The member 15 is also provided with an additional tongue 17, which is punched out and bent inwardly toward the member 16 so as to lie between the member 16 and the member 15. The member 17 is turned upon itself at its free end to form a hook 18. As shown in Fig. 6, the member 10 may be integral with the member 7, in which case'the member 10 is bent upon the member 7 and secured in its position by means of the flanges 8.

In operation, the device is assembled, as already described and as illustrated in Fig. 1. In order to lock the device, the free end of the shackle is inserted in the open end of the casing. As the shackle passes inwardly, the extreme end engages against the tongue 16 and presses the same upwardly, allowing the shackle to move inwardly relatively to the casing. As the shackle is thrust inwardly, the tongue 16 clears the portion of the metal which constitutes the inner end of the shackle and engages in the slot 13, as clearly seen in Fig. 2. The seal is then locked and can not be unlocked without the destruction or mutilation of the same. hen the device is in the form illustrated in Fig. 2, should any effort be made to remove the shackle from the casing, the shackle would slide backwardly upon the member 16, so that the extreme end thereof would clear the point at which the member 17 engages against the member 16, resulting in a more secure engagement of the tongue 16in the slot 13 Upon thrusting the shackle again inwardly into the casing, the same engages the upper surface of the hook 18 and passes inwardly so that the member 18 engages in the slot body of rthe shackle. This results in a bending of the member 17 upwardly-or in closer relation to the member 15, thereby securely locking the free end of the shackle in the hook 18. It isthus seen that in the operation of this seal, the device is locked immediately upon inserting the free end of the shackle 7 into the casing. Further manipulation of'the seal or the free end of the shackle thereof serves to more securely lock the same within the casingvuntil the member 17 is bent upwardly thereby securely clenching the shackle within the casing.

In order to prevent a cutting off ofthe free end of the shackle and a forming of a secondary slot, I have impressed upon the free end of the shackle a mark 19. which would be destroyed upon forming a second ary slot in the free end of the shackle. Also the members 8 are reduced'at the edge where the turn is made, so that turning the same backward again in order to obtain access to the interior of the casing would break the same 01f, thereby showing that the seal had been tampered with.

While I have illustrated and described the perferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is V capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. ,I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of the construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

7 Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A car seal comprising a metal shackle;

a casing mounted adjacent one end ofsaid shackle having an opening for the reception of the opposite end of said shackle; a

metallic member mounted in said casing; means mounted upon said member and adapted for engaging in a slot provided in the free end of said shackle, upon the inward movement of said shackle relatively to said casing for retaining said shackle in said casing; and means mounted upon said 7 metallic member for locking'said first mentioned means in engagement with said slot upon the retractive movement of said.

shackle relatively to said casing and additional means for retaining said shackle in -.said casing, substantially as described.

2. A car seal. comprising a metal shackle; a casing mounted adjacent one end of said shackle having an opening for the reception of the opposite end of said shackle; a metallic member mounted in said casing; means mounted upon said member and adapted for engaging inaslot provided in the free end of said shackle upon the inward movement ofsaid shackle relatively to said casingforlocking said shackle in said cas- 'ing; -means mounted upon said metallic member for locking said first mentioned means in engagement with saidslot upon the retractive movement of said shackle relatively to said casing; and additional means mounted upon said metallic member for engaging in said slot upon the inward movement ofsaid shackle relatively t said casing for additionally locking] said shackle in said casing, substantially as'described.

3. A carseal comprising a metal shackle; a casing mounted adjacent one end' of said shackle, having an opening for the reception of the opposite end of said shackle; means mounted upon said member and adapted for engaging in a slot provided in the free end of said shackle upon inward movement of said shackle, relatively'to said casing, for preventing withdrawal of said shackle from said casing; a locking tongue mounted upon said metallic member for locking saidfirstmentioned means in en gagement with said slot upon the retractive movement of said shackle relatively to said 7 casing; and a hook mounted upon said locking tongue for engaging in said slot upon the inward movement ofsaid shacklerelatively to said casing, for additionally preventing withdrawal of said shackle from said casing. p

4- A car seal comprising a metal shackle with an open ended casing at one end thereof, a slot in the free end of said shackle, a metallic member mounted insaid casing, a tongue extending from saidmetallic memher and adapted to engage in said, slot to lock said shackle in said casing; locking 11 means projecting from said member into contact with said tongue and adapted to engage in said slot, to lock said shackle beneath said tongue; and a hook at the end of said locking means, adapted to be drawn toward the body of said metallic member by further manipulation of said shackle to securely clench the shacklewithin the casing.

In testimony whereof I rhave signed my name to this specification in the presence of 12 5 two subscribing witnesses. p

. .OLOF' JOHNSON.

Witnesses: I a 

